English sheds super role

Bill English's shake-up of the National Party line-up has produced some interesting results in the superannuation area.

Saturday, October 13th 2001, 7:49AM

Although Bill English may have kept the reins of the finance portfolio for now, he has given away responsibility for superannuation to the new number four in National's line-up.

Gerry Brownlee (left), the only Jenny Shipley supporter to win in the shake-up, has shed the education spokesman's role, but picked up superannuation as well as Accident Insurance and becoming Leader of the House.

The other interesting development is that National has done away with two superannuation spokespeople.

Under the earlier line up English was responsible for superannuation issues for those in or near retirement, and Kaikoura MP Lynda Scott looked after super for the younger generations.

This double up had previously led to speculation that National would retain the policy of '65 at 65' (keeping the age of eligibility for NZ Super at 65, and maintaining the rate at 65% of the average weekly wage) for those in or nearing retirement, but try to introduce the idea of some form of means or asset testing for younger people who had time to prepare and save for retirement.

Brownlee is a former carpenter and teacher. He entered Parliament in 1996 when he won the Christchurch seat of Ilam.

In Parliament he was the deputy chairman of the Social Services select committee from 1996-1998, and member of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee from 1998 – 2001. At the end of 1998 he chaired the special committee set up to make changes to the provision of workplace injury insurance under the ACC Act.

In 1998 he was appointed junior whip, a position he held until the Caucus re-shuffle in February 2001, when he was promoted to National Party spokesman on Education and ranked number seven in caucus.